I'm trying to "orient the polar scope reticule" but finding the instructions as clear as mud :oops:
So far -
1) Rotate RA to get polaris at 6 o'clock position in reticule, turn setting circle to indicate 0 and lock - did that bit.
2) Rotate mount so setting circle indicator points to 1h 0m - It's gone wrong already :cry: the setting circle indicator is a casting on the mount and the setting circle locks to it, so when you rotate RA, everything moves except the setting circle and indicator.
All I can think of is that the date scale and indicator ring should be moved to to line up with something.
Am I missing something ?
I know on my mount, there are two "setting circles" of sorts. There's the one that you can lock, or rotate with a little thumbscrew, and there is another one, that is conical in shape fixed to the end of movey-go-round bit of the RA axis, in the middle of it you'll find the polar scope eyepiece. That one is divided into twelve because it represents dates when you come to set the position of Polaris. The orientation of the graticule in the polar finder needs to be correct in relation to this one, not the one that can move independently. It might be worth tracking down a vixen manual on the information superhighway. I'll see if I can find a link. The operation is pretty much the same for the two manufacturers and the vixen manual might be clearer.
See if anything here helps...
http://arnholm.org/astro/gpmanual/index.htm (http://arnholm.org/astro/gpmanual/index.htm)
Thanks to Carsten Arnholm...
Mick,
It's definitely worth persevering with getting this right.
Once you've set it up (which is admittedly complex and confusing), it's exactly equivalant to using the Kochab Clock method but using the setting circles gives you extraordinary accuracy on your polar alignment. I use it all the time on my EQ6 - before observing dial in the date and time - align Polaris et voila!
Mark
Thanks for that Ian, I'll print out relevant pages and read them a few times before starting.
It's frustrating that this first stage is just to make sure the reticle is aligned properly with the mount - It would be a doddle to do that in the bloody factory.
I agree with that Mark, if I just leave it, I'll be no better off than with the Meade alt/az, or dare I say it - the Lidlscope :D
Mick,
This set of instructions may be a bit clearer - they are specific to the HEQ5 and the EQ6:
http://home.btconnect.com/astro-site/polar_alignment.htm
Mark
Thanks Mark, a lot clearer. Nothing like the "instructions" which really over complicated it.